Bill Comments
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Early Learning and Education
HB 2213 – Free School Meals; Appropriation
HB2399 – Child Care Development Centers; Appropriations
HB2643 – Child Care Assistance; Appropriations
HB2778 – Expansion of Tobacco Tax to Nicotine & Vapor Products
SB1487 – Child Care Waiting List; Appropriation
SCR1041 – School District Expenditure Limits; 2025-2026
SCR1042 – School District Expenditure Limits; 2026-2027
Child Welfare & Economic Well-being
HB2462 – Financial Resources Exception to Child Neglect
SB1246 – Financial Resources Exception to Child Neglect
SB1303 – Extended Foster Care Service Program
SB1305 – TANF for Children in Kinship Care
SB1333 – Congregate Care; Dependent Children; Placement
SB1490 – Increase in Kinship Foster Care Stipend
Health
HB2449 – AHCCCS Enrollment Restrictions
HB2926 – AHCCCS Eligibility & Funding Restrictions
SB1347 – AHCCCS Coverage for Comprehensive Dental Care
Immigration
SB1164 – Local Enforcement of Immigration Laws
SB1268 – Patient Immigration Status at Hospitals
Bill Notes
Early Learning & Education
HB2213 –Free School Meals; Appropriation
Sponsor: Rep. Nancy Gutierrez (D, LD18)
Bill Summary: Appropriate $3.8M to provide free school lunches for eligible children.
CAA Position: SUPPORT as a significant step to ensure eligible children have access to nutritious meals during the school day to support their health, academic performance, and overall well-being.
Final Status: Bill passed House Appropriations Committee; Funding provided in final FY 26 budget.
HB2399 – Child Care Development Centers; Appropriations
Sponsor: Rep. Walt Blackman (R, LD7)
Bill Summary: Appropriate $6M for child care development centers in rural Arizona; Sought amendment to create Child Care Infrastructure Fund to prioritize creating more child care options in rural and underserved areas of Arizona.
CAA Position: SUPPORT to increase the number of quality child care facilities in rural and underserved communities by investing in child care construction and renovation projects to help parents find accessible child care while they work.
Final Status: Bill did not receive a hearing; the Final FY26 budget included $1.5M for a Child Development Center in the Town of Taylor, a rural community.
HB2643 – Child Care Assistance; Appropriations
Sponsor: Rep. Sarah Liguori (D, LD5)
Bill Summary: Appropriate $120M to the Child Care Assistance Program to eliminate the child care waiting list.
CAA Position: SUPPORT to expand quality child care options by making child care more affordable.
Final Status: Bill did not receive a hearing; Final FY26 budget included $44.9M for the program, which is expected to alleviate half of the waitlist and incentivize quality care.
HB2778 – Expansion of Tobacco Tax to Nicotine & Vapor Products
Sponsor: Rep. Consuelo Hernandez (D, LD21)
Bill Summary: Expand the tobacco tax and regulations to nicotine and vapor products to fund First Things First program.
CAA Position: SUPPORT to increase funding available for Arizona’s only publicly funded program dedicated exclusively to quality early childhood development and health programs for children (0-5). New funding sources are needed due to the public’s shift away from tobacco products.
Final Status: Bill did not receive a hearing.
SB1487 – Child Care Waiting List; Appropriation
Sponsor: Sen. Lela Alston (D, LD5)
Bill Summary: Appropriate funding to eliminate the waiting list for child care assistance.
CAA Position: SUPPORT to expand quality child care options by making child care more affordable.
Final Status: Bill did not receive a hearing; Final FY26 budget included $44.9M for the program, which is expected to alleviate half of the waitlist and incentivize quality care.
SCR1041 – School District Expenditure Limits; 2025-2026
Sponsor: Sen. John Kavanagh (R, LD3)
Bill Summary:Exempt school districts from the aggregate expenditure limitation (AEL) which prevents school districts from utilizing available local resources for the upcoming school year.
CAA Position: SUPPORT to allow school districts to expend available and budgeted local funds to meet modern needs like technological advancements, school safety, teacher shortages, increased spending needs for special education students, and other expenditures.
Final Status: Expenditure authority provided in the final FY26 budget.
SCR1042 – School District Expenditure Limits; 2026-2027
Sponsor: Sen. John Kavanagh (R, LD3)
Bill Summary: Exempt school districts from the aggregate expenditure limitation (AEL), which prevents school districts from utilizing available local resources for two school years from now.
CAA Position: SUPPORT to allow school districts to expend available and budgeted local funds to meet needs, including technological advancements, school safety, teacher shortages, increased spending needs for special education students, and other expenditures.
Final Status: Expenditure authority provided in the final FY26 budget.
Child Welfare & Economic Well-being
HB2462 – Financial Resources Exception to Child Neglect
Sponsor: Rep. Stephanie Stahl-Hamilton (D, LD21)
Bill Summary: Specify a parent, guardian or custodian’s inability to provide basic necessities does not constitute neglect if due solely to lack of financial resources.
CAA Position: SUPPORT to prevent unnecessary separation of families that can safely stay together and are only unable to provide basic necessities due to poverty.
Final Status: Passed House Health & Human Services Committee.
SB1246 – Financial Resources Exception to Child Neglect
Sponsor: Sen. David C. Farnsworth (R, LD10)
Bill Summary: Specify a parent, guardian or custodian’s inability to provide basic necessities does not constitute neglect if due solely to lack of financial resources.
CAA Position: SUPPORT to prevent unnecessary separation of families that can safely stay together and are only unable to provide basic necessities due to poverty.
Final Status: Passed Senate; Passed House committees; Held pending House floor action.
SB1303 – Extended Foster Care Service Program
Sponsor: Sen. T.J. Shope (R, LD16)
Bill Summary: Expand the Extended Foster Care Service pilot to an ongoing program.
CAA Position: SUPPORT to ensure youth aging out of foster care up to age 21 receive structured, evidence-based transitions with coaching, and permanency supports and services to improve youth outcomes related to housing, employment, education, and more.
Final Status: Final FY26 budget included program language.
SB1305 – TANF for Children in Kinship Care
Sponsor: Sen. T.J. Shope (R, LD16)
Bill Summary: Provide financial support for a child who is not in the foster care system but is being raised by a non-parent kin.
CAA Position: SUPPORT to enhance economic support for children living with kin caregivers, consistent with priorities to reduce child poverty and prevent foster placements.
Final Status: Passed Senate; Passed House committees; Held pending House floor action.
SB1333 – Congregate Care; Dependent Children; Placement
Sponsor: Sen. Janae Shamp (R, LD29)
Bill Summary: Add DCS regulations: 1) Aimed at placing youth in appropriate family-based settings including developing individualized plans to move youth from congregate care; 2) Improve administration of medication in congregate care; 3) Prohibit behavioral health facilities from denying placement of foster children under certain conditions; and 4) Update Foster Youth Permanency Pilot Project Team guidelines to include youth voice.
CAA Position: SUPPORT to prioritize placing children in family-based care, reduce group home overreliance, create permanency planning safeguards, and increase foster youth input, consistent with best practice guidelines.
Final Status: Signed into law.
SB1490 – Increase in Kinship Foster Care Stipend
Sponsor: Sen. Lela Alston (D, LD5)
Bill Summary: Increase the monthly stipend for unlicensed kinship foster care parents by $100 annually for three years (currently at $300).
CAA Position: SUPPORT as kinship care can provide a safe and nurturing home that maintains family bonds and produces greater placement stability for children, as well as reduce costly institutional placements. Increase in stipends aligns monthly payments with licensed foster homes and strengthens family-based options.
Final Status: Passed Senate committees, Held pending Senate floor action.
Health
HB2449 – AHCCCS Enrollment Restrictions
Sponsor: Rep. Michael Carbone (R, LD25)
Bill Summary: Require expanded verification of income eligibility for enrollment in AHCCCS; eliminate hospital presumptive eligibility.
CAA Position: OPPOSE as imposition of new, unnecessary, and burdensome income verification and enrollment requirements that cause children and families to lose the health care coverage they are eligible to receive.
Final Status: Vetoed.
HB2926 – AHCCCS Eligibility & Funding Restrictions
Sponsor: Rep. Michael Carbone (R, LD25)
Bill Summary: Eliminate Medicaid expansion if federal funding match drops below 90% (currently limit is 80%); Impose work requirements; Prohibit the collection of hospital assessments.
CAA Position: OPPOSE due to the risk of elimination of Medicaid/AHCCCS expansion coverage for Arizonans, the cost and administrative burden placed on eligible individuals and health care providers with the proposed imposition of work requirements, and the loss of funding.
Final Status: Passed House committees, Held pending House floor action.
SB1347 – AHCCCS Coverage for Comprehensive Dental Care
Sponsor: Sen. T.J. Shope (R, LD16)
Bill Summary: Expands AHCCCS coverage to include comprehensive dental care for adults, instead of only emergency dental care and extractions.
CAA Position: SUPPORT as oral health prevention and treatment prior to an emergency reduces oral health disease, which impacts the economic well-being of families and can lead to preterm births and low birth weights.
Final Status: Passed Senate, not heard in House.
Immigration
SB1164 – Local Enforcement of Immigration Laws
Sponsor: Sen. Warren Petersen (R, LD14)
Bill Summary: Require state and local cooperation and enforcement of federal immigration laws; Require facilitation of immigration detainer requests, provision of temporary housing for detainees, and procedures for noncompliance.
CAA Position: OPPOSE as it would decrease public safety and increase risk of harm for many, especially vulnerable children.
Final Status: Vetoed.
SB1268 – Patient Immigration Status at Hospitals
Sponsor: Sen. Wendy Rogers (R, LD7)
Bill Summary: Require hospitals to request information on citizenship status on patient admission forms, with reporting to ADHS.
CAA Position: OPPOSE as it would increase risk to the health and safety of people due to delay in seeking timely medical attention, and it would interfere with the hospital’s ability to provide needed health care.
Final Status: Vetoed.